Apate.AI, the fraud counter-intelligence platform that deploys adversarial AI agents against scammers, has closed an over-subscribed US$8.15m seed round.
The raise was led by Lobby Capital, with backing from OIF Ventures, Investible, Concept Ventures and Baobab Ventures.
Alongside the funding, the company has re-domiciled to the United States, becoming a Delaware corporation as of 25 August 2026, a move intended to underpin its expansion into new markets.
Apate’s approach centres on deploying large numbers of AI-driven voice and text agents that pose as potential victims, drawing scammers into conversations that can run for up to two hours.
Rather than simply flagging fraud once it has taken place, the agents work inside live scam operations, tying up attackers’ time and resources while pulling out intelligence that can be used to shut the schemes down before money changes hands.
The intelligence gathered includes details such as impersonation methods, phishing links, and the bank accounts and digital asset wallets used to move stolen funds, which is information the company says financial institutions would otherwise be unable to access directly. Each conversation adds to a growing intelligence database that the company says sharpens its agents’ effectiveness with every new scammer they engage, building what it describes as a unique dataset for tracing and disrupting fraud networks.
Apate pointed to global scam losses reaching US$1.03 trillion, noting that spending by banks, telecoms providers and governments on detection tools has failed to curb the rise, as fraud operations become more organised and increasingly powered by AI themselves.
The platform is already deployed with major clients, among them Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and has carried out more than 2.5 million autonomous conversations with threat actors, yielding over 250,000 pieces of intelligence passed on to customers’ disruption efforts.
With the new capital, Apate plans to expand its platform and broaden its international footprint. A London office is due to open next quarter to support European customers, alongside a growing US presence to serve demand from telecoms providers, financial institutions and government bodies. Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Peter Eckermann will relocate to the US to head up the North American expansion, while the company’s technology and research staff will continue to be based in Sydney.
Apate.AI founder and CEO Prof. Dali Kaafar said, ““For the first time, the people defending against fraud can get ahead of it. Our agents engage scammers directly, waste their time and money, and turn their tactics into intelligence that protects the people they target. This round takes that to institutions and their customers worldwide.”
Lobby Capital founding and general partner Buddy Arnheim said, “Scammers around the globe are increasingly sophisticated, and proliferating exponentially as they embrace AI. As a result, the number of victims and the related losses are accelerating. The proprietary and pioneering Apate solution is combatting this with a proactive approach that is showing unparalleled results, and they are just getting started. We are thrilled to back a team with such unique technical expertise and a compelling market leadership position. At Lobby Capital, we seek opportunities to back some of the most impactful businesses, and Apate perfectly aligns with our investment thesis: doing good while also doing well.”
Copyright © 2026 RegTech Analyst
Copyright © 2026 RegTech Analyst
